Single space parking meter and removable single space parking meter mechanism

ABSTRACT

A parking meter mechanism is described that may include a front housing, having a display opening for viewing a display through, connected to an internal structure. Additionally or alternatively the parking meter mechanism may include a contactless payment reader located behind the display. The parking meter mechanism may be secured to a lower housing. A back housing may be secured to the lower housing as well. The front or back housing may include a solar panel compartment and solar panel mounted therein.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/220,228, filed Jul. 26, 2016, which application is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/325,134, filed Jul. 7, 2014, nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,443,236, which application is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/410,831, filed Mar. 2, 2012, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,770,371, which application in turn claims priority fromCanadian Patent Application Serial No. 2733110, filed Mar. 3, 2011, andCanadian Patent Application Serial No. 2756489, filed Oct. 28, 2011, thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to single space parking meters andremovable single space parking meter mechanisms.

BACKGROUND

Parking meters come in many shapes and sizes but are generally dividedinto two main types or classes: multi-space parking meters which aretypically larger devices capable of managing the parking payment andcontrol for typically between six or more, or possibly even hundreds ofparking spaces; and, single-space parking meters which are typicallysmall devices capable of managing the parking payment and control of asingle parking space, but also sometimes additional spaces, such as two,four, or six spaces which are located in close proximity to the parkingmeter.

FIG. 19 depicts a single space parking meter 700 installed on a pole701. Single space parking meter mechanisms are typically installed in aprotective housing on a pole 701 near a parking space. The protectivehousing components, which are directly exposed to the elements and thepublic, are traditionally separate from the actual parking metermechanism (not shown). The protective housing components of previoussingle space parking meters 700 typically comprise a lower housing 702that receives a removable parking meter mechanism. A cover cap 705 isplaced over the parking meter mechanism and secured to the lower housing702. The cover cap 705 typically comprises a semicircular opening 709,covered by a transparent material, through which a display 742 isvisible through a display opening 740 of the parking meter mechanism.The lower housing 702 is typically secured to a coin vault 708 forstoring coins received during operation of the parking meter 700. Thecoin vault 708 may be secured to the pole 701. The parking meter 700 isoperated by inserting payment, either in the form of coins or paymentcards such as chip cards or electronic purse cards, into the parkingmeter 700 which then displays and counts down the purchased amount ofparking time.

Single space parking meters are often located in unattended areas, andas such vandalism, tampering and theft are of concern. The protectivehousing, which typically comprises the lower housing 702 and the covercap 705, provides protection for the components of the parking metermechanism from vandalism, tampering and theft, as well as protectionfrom the environment.

Single space parking meters may comprise a parking meter mechanism thatprovides communication, either wired or wireless, with a remotelocation. The communication means can enable the single space parkingmeter to accept credit card payments or other types of paymentsrequiring authorization from a remote computer system.

Although previous parking meters may provide sufficient or acceptableoperation, an improved parking meter and parking meter mechanism isdesired that provides one or more of a more secure parking meter, a moreconvenient to use parking meter, an easier to manufacture and assembleparking meter, an easier to remove, replace or service parking metermechanism, and a more power efficient parking meter mechanism.

SUMMARY

There is disclosed a removable single space parking meter mechanismcomprising an internal structure to be at least partially and removablyreceived within a lower housing of a single space parking meter, and afront housing, to be exposed to an external environment, coupled to theinternal structure and comprising a display opening.

There is further disclosed a single space parking meter comprising alower housing; a removable single space parking meter mechanism and aback housing secured to the lower housing and the removable single spaceparking meter mechanism. The removable single space parking metermechanism comprises an internal structure to be at least partially andremovably received within the lower housing; and a front housing,exposed to an external environment, coupled to the internal structureand comprising a display opening.

There is still further disclosed a method of assembling a single spaceparking meter comprising placing a removable parking meter mechanismhaving a pivotally attached front housing at least partially in a lowerhousing having a back housing secured to the lower housing; pivoting thefront housing towards the back housing; and securing the front housingto the back housing to provide a protective housing of the parkingmeter.

There is further still disclosed a single space parking metercomprising: a lower housing; a removable single space parking metermechanism comprising an internal structure at least partially andremovably received within a lower housing of a single space parkingmeter; a housing coupled to the lower housing and the removable singlespace parking meter mechanism; and a solar panel arranged on an exteriorsurface of the housing of the single space parking meter.

There is yet further disclosed a single space parking meter comprising:a lower housing; a removable single space parking meter mechanism, and ahousing coupled to the lower housing and the removable single spaceparking meter mechanism. The removable single space parking metermechanism comprises an internal structure at least partially andremovably received within a lower housing of a single space parkingmeter; and a plurality of parking meter mechanism components coupled tothe internal structure, the plurality of parking meter mechanismcomponents comprising a display for displaying parking information; anda contactless payment reader located behind the display.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages will become apparent from the followingdetailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is an upper front perspective of components of a parking meter;

FIG. 2 is an upper rear perspective of components of the parking meterof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an upper front perspective of the parking meter of FIG. 1partially assembled;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the parking meter of FIG. 1 partiallyassembled;

FIG. 5 is an upper rear perspective of the parking meter of FIG. 1assembled;

FIG. 6 is an upper front perspective of the parking meter of FIG. 1assembled;

FIG. 7 is an upper rear perspective of the parking meter of FIG. 1assembled;

FIG. 8 is an upper front perspective of an assembled further parkingmeter;

FIG. 9 is an upper front perspective of components of the parking meterof FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an upper rear perspective of components of the parking meterof FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a side view of components of the parking meter of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12A is a side view of components of the parking meter of FIG. 8partially assembled;

FIG. 12B is a side view of components of a further parking meterpartially assembled;

FIG. 13 is a side view of components of the parking meter of FIG. 8partially assembled;

FIG. 14A is a side view of the parking meter of FIG. 8 assembled;

FIG. 14B is a side view of the parking meter of FIG. 12B assembled;

FIG. 15 is an upper front perspective of components of a further parkingmeter;

FIG. 16 is an upper front perspective of components of a further parkingmeter;

FIG. 17 is an upper front perspective of a further parking meter;

FIG. 18 is a cross section of a further parking meter; and

FIG. 19 is a schematic showing an installed previous single spaceparking meter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-7 depict various views of an embodiment of a single spaceparking meter 100. Although described herein as a single space parkingmeter, the parking meter may manage the parking payment and control ofmore than a single parking space, for example one parking space to theleft of the parking meter and one to the right. Although single spaceparking meters may be associated with a single parking space or multiplespaces, the term is used to differentiate the parking meter type frommulti-space ‘pay and display’ or ‘pay by space’ type meters. The singlespace parking meters may be associated with multiple adjacent parkingspaces and manage the parking payment and control of, and display theparking time remaining for, the parking spaces.

The single space parking meter 100 comprises a lower housing 102, a backhousing 110 and a removable parking meter mechanism 130. The parkingmeter mechanism 130 may be partially received within the lower housing102, which is typically secured to a coin vault (not shown) that ismounted on a pole (not shown) when in use. The back housing 110, theparking meter mechanism 130 and the lower housing 102 are generallylocked or secured together to form a protective housing that providesprotection from the environment, theft and vandalism. The back housing110 can be locked to the lower housing 102, thereby securing the parkingmeter mechanism 130 in the lower housing 102.

When the parking meter 100 is assembled, that is the parking metermechanism 130 is, at least partially, placed in the lower housing 102and the back housing 110 is secured to the lower housing 102, thecomponents of the parking meter mechanism 130 are protected from theenvironment, vandalism, tampering, theft or other unauthorized access.As described further herein, the parking meter mechanism 130 may includea front housing 134 with a display opening 140 through which the display142 is visible. The parking meter mechanism 130 may include acontactless payment reader (not shown) located behind the display 142.The back housing 110 of the parking meter 100 may comprise a solar panel116 arranged on the back housing 110. The solar panel 116 may beenclosed within a solar panel compartment 114 of the back housing 110.The solar panel compartment 114 may have a substantially intact bottomsurface (not shown), so that the protection provided by the back housing110 is not reduced or compromised by a large opening for the solar panel116.

With respect to the parking meter mechanism 130, it will be appreciatedthat the parking meter mechanism 130 may be partially received within alower housing 102 of various sizes, shapes and configurations.Regardless of the lower housing 102 the parking meter mechanism 130 canbe placed in, it is desirable for the parking meter mechanism 130 to beeasily removed from the lower housing 102 to allow replacement orservicing of the parking meter mechanism 130. This easy removal allowsfor a non-functioning parking meter mechanism to be repaired or replacedwith a different and functioning parking meter mechanism. Thenon-functioning parking meter mechanism may then be repaired or replacedwithout leaving a parking meter unusable and a parking space not managednor controlled.

The parking meter mechanism 130 is provided with an internal structure132 that provides a mounting point for other components of the parkingmeter mechanism 130. The internal structure 132 may comprise one or morecomponents such as frames or sub-frames, and provides a structure towhich the front housing 134 is mounted as well as other components ofthe parking meter mechanism 130 such as the display 142, main controlboard (not shown), power source 146 and payment means (not shown).Furthermore, the internal structure 132 provides a structure that is atleast partially, and removably, received within the lower housing 102.The internal structure 132 may be provided in various ways. As depicted,the internal structure 132 includes at least a main support frame 162 towhich additional components of the internal structure 132 as well ascomponents of the parking meter mechanism 130 may be mounted. Theinternal structure 132 may comprise additional mounting components suchas, for example sub-frame 164 to which an auxiliary display 156 ismounted. The internal structure 132 may also comprise, for example, amechanism cover plate 166 that is secured over one or more components,such as a coin chute (not shown), and includes a coin slot 136 forreceiving coins into the coin chute. Further still, the internalstructure 132 may include surfaces of components of the parking metermechanism 130 mounted to the internal structure 132. For example,although the front housing 134 is connected to the internal structure132, an interior surface of the front housing 134 may form part of theinternal structure 132 and be used to mount components of the parkingmeter mechanism 130. Thus, actual components of the parking metermechanism 130 may act as mounting surfaces for other components of theparking meter mechanism 130 such that those actual components of theparking meter mechanism 130 form part of internal structure 132.

The parking meter mechanism 130 may comprise various componentsdepending on the desired functionality of the parking meter 100. Thecomponents of the parking meter mechanism 130 will typically comprise adisplay 142 adjacent the display opening 140 of the parking metermechanism 130 to display parking meter related information, such as theamount of parking time purchased or remaining, the current time of day,the parking rate, days/hours of operation and other information. Thecomponents of the parking meter mechanism 130 may further comprise amain control board (not shown) for controlling the overall operation ofthe parking meter mechanism 130, as well as a power source 146, such asa battery pack and/or a rechargeable battery pack coupled to at leastthe main control board (not shown) to provide power during operation.

The parking meter mechanism 130 will further typically include a coinchute (not shown) for receiving coins through a coin slot 136 in thefront housing 134 of the parking meter mechanism 130. The components ofthe parking meter mechanism 130 may further comprise a card paymentcomponent (not shown) for receiving payment by a payment card insertedinto a card slot 138 of the front housing 134. Depending on thecommunication abilities of the parking meter 100, the payment card maybe a credit card, debit card, chip card or other type of payment cardsuch as an electronic purse card. Payment cards requiring a personalidentification number (PIN) to be entered are not considered in detail;however, such payment cards requiring a PIN to be entered may beaccepted by the parking meter 100 where, for example, the display 142comprises touchscreen technology for displaying touchscreen buttons (notshown) associated with at least digits 0-9. Such a display 142 may alsobe able to present a user with a choice of touchscreen buttonsassociated with a combination of alpha and/or numeric characters. Forexample, such a touchscreen display 142 may allow the parking meter 100to prompt the user to input a PIN, a vehicle license plate number, or aparking space identifier that contains alpha characters, numericcharacters, and/or a combination of both alpha and numeric characters,as the case may be. Although the parking meter 100 includes both a coinchute and a card payment component, it is not required to have both. Theparking meter 100 may accept payment by way of a number of means. Themeans could be the coin chute, card payment component or other meanssuch as a communication message received wirelessly indicating that apayment has been made for the parking meter 100. Such other paymentmeans may allow payment to be made in various alternative ways such asusing a cell phone.

The payment means may further comprise a contactless type paymentmethod, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) type card,near-field communications (NFC) devices, or other cards adhering to theinternational standard for contactless cards ISO14443.

Previous single space parking meters have included a contactless typepayment method using a contactless payment reader. However, there weredisadvantages associated with the placement of contactless paymentreaders within previous single space parking meters, including thedifficulty in providing adequate space to place a contactless paymentreader and instructions to a user, while still offering other paymentmeans. The parking meter mechanism 130 includes a contactless paymentreader (not shown) located directly behind the display 142, which allowsfor payment by way of a contactless payment device (not shown). Thedisplay 142 is located close enough to the exterior of the parking meter100 such that the contactless payment reader is able to read contactlesspayment devices placed over the display 142. The maximum read distancebetween the contactless payment device and the contactless paymentreader is typically a function of the size of the antenna (not shown) ofthe contactless payment reader, the presence of any material, and itsnature if present, between the contactless payment reader and thecontactless payment device, and other operating conditions of theparking meter 100. A high percentage success rate for reading ofcontactless payment devices by the contactless payment reader throughthe display 142 can be accomplished even with a double layer of a clearprotective cover placed over the display 142. Since the contactlesspayment reader is placed behind the display 142, which is significantlymore transparent to the wireless signals used by the contactless paymentreader than housing components of the parking meter 100, which aretypically made of metal, no additional openings or apertures need to beincluded in the housing components to provide adequate operation of thecontactless payment reader. Thus, by placing the contactless paymentreader behind the display 142, it is possible to provide housingcomponents that provide greater security and environmental protection.When making payment using the contactless payment reader, the display142 may be used to display a logo, graphic and/or directions such as“tap here”.

By placing the contactless payment reader (not shown) behind the display142, the amount of space required to offer this method of payment isreduced, as the need of an additional opening or aperture in the housingcomponents is eliminated. In addition, the display 142 and possibleprotective covering of the display 142 provide protection and ruggednessso as to allow the contactless payment reader to be deployed inunattended single space parking meters without the need for additionalprotection. Additionally, by placing the contactless payment readerbehind the display 142, the physical packaging of the parking metermechanism 130 may be reduced to provide more freedom in the design ofthe parking meter 100, possibly allowing a smaller more appealing singlespace parking meter, which may be desirable given the large number ofsingle space parking meters that may be present on a single street orblock.

The protective external surface of the front housing 134, which will beexposed to the environment and the public, may be connected to theinternal structure 132 in various ways. For example, the front housing134 may be bolted, screwed or welded to the internal structure 132. Ifthe front housing 134 is bolted or screwed to the internal structure132, it is desirable to have the bolts or screws accessible only whenthe parking meter mechanism 130 is not in the fully assembled positionas is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. If the bolts or screws connecting thefront housing 134 to the internal structure 132 are accessible from theexterior of the parking meter 100, it is desirable to make the driverpattern an uncommon pattern so that they cannot readily be loosened byan unauthorized person. The front housing 134 may be connected to theinternal structure 132 in additional or alternative ways, such aswelding, gluing, cementing, riveting, or other connecting techniques.Alternatively, the front housing 134 may be connected to the internalstructure 132 during the fabrication stage of the components, such as bycasting a single component.

The front housing 134 that is connected to the internal structure 132includes a display opening 140 that is arranged to allow a user to viewthe display 142 when the parking meter 100 is in use, and make paymentusing contactless payment devices. The display opening 140 may beprovided with a transparent, or semi transparent, protective displaycovering (not shown) such as Lexan™ or similar material. If the display142 itself provides sufficient strength to resist vandalism, theprotective display covering may not be required.

By connecting the front housing 134 to the internal structure 132 sothat they are removable as a single parking meter mechanism 130, lessconstraints may be placed on the size and shape of the front housing134. The tolerances required between components of the parking metermechanism 130 and the front housing 134 can be reduced. No clearanceneeds to be provided between the components of the parking metermechanism 130 and the front housing 134, since there may be no relativemovement between the front housing 134 and the components of the parkingmeter mechanism 130.

If the parking meter mechanism 130 includes a card payment component(not shown), the front housing 134 may include a card slot 138 toreceive the payment card, such as a credit card, debit card, chip cardor other type of payment card such as an electronic purse card, andallow the payment card to come into contact with a card paymentcomponent.

Depending on the type of interface provided by the parking metermechanism 130, it may be necessary to provide one or more input controls150. The input controls 150 are depicted as mechanical buttons forincreasing or decreasing the amount of time purchased as well asauthorizing or canceling the transaction, such as authorizing orcanceling a credit card payment. It will be appreciated that the inputcontrols 150 may be used for additional functions, such as selectingoptions during configuration of the parking meter mechanism 130, orselecting which parking space payment is being made for. It will beappreciated that the input controls 150 may comprise a variety of switchtypes such as simple electromechanical switches, piezoelectric switchesor capacitive touch switches that have no moving parts.

If the parking meter mechanism 130 includes the ability to communicatewirelessly, an antenna (not shown) located under an antenna cover 154 isrequired to transmit and receive information. The size and type ofantenna will depend on the intended use, the required communicationdistance, the frequency and/or the wireless network chosen, for exampleusing either licensed cellular radio modems or unlicensed radio modemsoperating in the industrial scientific medical (ISM) bands. Regardlessof the wireless network chosen, it is desirable, from atransmission/reception point of view, to have the antenna located abovethe front housing 134, as well as any other housing components such asthe back housing 110 or lower housing 102. The housing components 102,110, 134 are typically made of metal and attenuate the radio signalstransmitted or received by the antenna. Additionally, by locating theantenna above the front housing, the housing components may shield thecomponents of the parking meter mechanism 130 from the transmitted radiosignals, which may reduce the amount of electromagnetic shieldingrequired for components of the parking meter mechanism 130 such as aradio module. By placing the antenna external to the housing components,which provides electromagnetic shielding, spurious emissions may bereduced. In previous parking meters 700, which used a cover cap 705 thatincluded a semi-circular opening 709, the placement of the antenna (notshown) on a top surface of the exterior of the parking meter 700 was notideal since it was subject to vandalism. Furthermore, if the antenna wasattached to the cover cap 705, the antenna would then need to bedetached from the parking meter mechanism when removing the cover cap705, or alternatively, the antenna would need to be detached from thecover cap 705, when removing the parking meter mechanism.

The parking meter mechanism 130 has a front housing 134 that isconnected to an internal structure 132 of the parking meter mechanism130. As such, it is not necessary to detach the front housing 134 inorder to remove the parking meter mechanism 130 from the lower housing102. As a result, it is possible to place the antenna (not shown) in adesirable location, from a transmission/reception point of view, on atop surface of the parking meter 100, without making removal orreplacement of the parking meter mechanism 130 more difficult. Byplacing the antenna above the housing components 102, 110, 134 of theparking meter 100, the antenna may transmit and/or receive radio signalsequally well from all directions. Furthermore, since the antenna doesnot need to transmit radio signals through the housing components 102,110, 134 of the parking meter, it may be possible to transmit andreceive radio signals the same distance using less power, oralternatively transmit and receive radio signals a greater distanceusing the same power.

The antenna (not shown) may be mounted on the exterior of the fronthousing 134 and may only require a small opening in the front housing134 to pass a wire through for coupling the antenna to the radio module(not shown). The antenna and any opening in the front housing 134 forthe antenna, or connections between the antenna and radio module, may becovered by an antenna cover 154. Mounting the antenna in this mannerminimizes or reduces the need for additional protection from vandalism.Even if an antenna cover 154 is compromised, the front housing 134remains substantially intact. The antenna cover 154 may comprise a hardplastic material that is transparent, or semi transparent to radiosignals, so that the radio signals transmitted and received by theantenna are not greatly attenuated. The antenna cover 154 may snap ontothe front housing 134 using one or more tabs (not shown) cooperatingwith corresponding slots (not shown) in the front housing 134. Anantenna placed in such a manner will have no metal obstacles, allowingit to send or receive radio signals in or from any direction.

The parking meter mechanism 130 is at least partially received withinthe lower housing 102. The lower housing 102 is typically secured to acoin vault (not shown) secured to a post (not shown). A back housing 110engages with the lower housing 102 in order to secure the parking metermechanism 130 at least partially within the lower housing 102.

The back housing 110 may comprise one or more securing points 122 thatinteract with one or more corresponding securing points 104 and/ormoveable securing point 106 located on the lower housing 102. Themoveable securing point 106 may move between a locked position and anunlocked position. In the locked position the moveable securing point106 and the corresponding securing points 104 of the lower housing 102engage with securing points 122 of the back housing 110 to lock the backhousing in position.

In the unlocked position, the moveable securing point 106 does notengage the securing points 122 on the back housing 110. The back housing110 is able to be moved relative to the lower housing 102 (see gap 167of FIG. 5) such that the corresponding securing points 104 also do notengage the securing points 122 on the back housing 110, allowing theback housing 110 to be removed from the lower housing 102.

A lock (not shown) can be received within a lock retaining opening 126in the lower housing 102 so that the moveable securing point 106 may beoperated, and locked in position.

In addition to the securing points 122 that interact with thecorresponding securing points 104 and moveable securing point 106 of thelower housing 102, the back housing 110 may also comprise one or moreengagement points or surfaces (not shown) for engaging withcorresponding points or surfaces (not shown) of the parking metermechanism 130 and further securing the parking meter mechanism 130within the lower housing 102.

The back housing 110 may have an auxiliary display opening 124 forallowing an auxiliary display 156 to be visible from the exterior of theparking meter 100. The auxiliary display 156 may provide an additionaldisplay of information, such as if the parking time purchased hasexpired, the parking meter 100 is out of service, or if parking is notallowed at that time.

The back housing 110 may include a solar panel compartment 114. Thesolar panel compartment 114 has a substantially intact bottom surface(not shown) to which a solar panel 116 may be mounted. A clear solarpanel cover (not shown) may be provided over the solar panel 116 andsolar panel compartment 114 to both secure and to provide furtherprotection to the solar panel 116 if required.

Previous removable parking meter mechanisms have typically been providedwith a solar panel on the parking meter mechanism, if at all. An openingin the protective housing of these previous parking meters was requiredto allow light to contact the solar panel of the parking metermechanism. Such an arrangement requires a large opening to be providedin the protective housing of the parking meter, which may reduce theprotection from the environment, vandalism, tampering or theft providedby the protective housing.

The solar panel compartment 114 of the back housing 110 has asubstantially intact bottom surface (not shown), such that even if thesolar panel cover (if present) is compromised, as well as the solarpanel 116, the back housing 110 is not compromised and can still preventvandalism or tampering to the parking meter mechanism 130.

An opening may be provided in the substantially intact bottom surface ofthe solar panel compartment 114 to allow an electrical connection to bemade between the solar panel 116 and the parking meter mechanism 130.The electrical connection may be made by, for example, a wire connectedto the solar panel 116, passing through the opening in the solar panelcompartment 114 that can be connected to, or disconnected from, theparking meter mechanism 130 as required. Alternatively, electricalcontacts, such as spring loaded contacts, may be provided on theinterior side of the back housing 110 that are electrically connected tothe solar panel 116. The electrical contacts may make an electricalconnection with corresponding electrical contacts of the parking metermechanism 130 when the back housing 110 is engaged with the parkingmeter mechanism 130 and the lower housing 102.

With the solar panel 116 in the solar panel compartment 114 of the backhousing 110, it is possible to quickly and easily replace the solarpanel 116 of a parking meter 100 by simply substituting a new backhousing 110. As such, a solar panel 116 that is not performingsatisfactorily, whether due to age of the solar panel 116, or vandalism,such as spray paint on the solar panel 116 or solar panel cover (notshown), can be quickly replaced without the need to remove and/orreplace the parking meter mechanism 130.

Various features of a removable parking meter mechanism 130 and anexternal protective housing provided by housing components 102, 110, 134have been described above. It will be appreciated that the descriptionhas been made with regards to specific embodiments. The describedfeatures may be readily adapted from the specific embodiments describedto a plurality of other parking meters. Furthermore, individual featuresof the parking meter 100 described above may be incorporated intodifferent parking meters, either individually or in combination withother features.

The above has described the parking meter 100 as having a back housing110 that slides laterally to engage securing points 122 withcorresponding securing points 104 and moveable securing point 106 inorder to secure the parking meter mechanism 130 within the parking meter100. It is possible to secure the parking meter mechanism 130, at leastpartially within the lower housing 102 using other approaches.

FIGS. 8-14 depict a further embodiment of a single space parking meter.The parking meter 200 includes a front housing 234 that is hingedlyconnected to an internal structure 232 of the removable parking metermechanism 230 via a linkage, or plurality of linkages, 270. Each linkage270 may comprise two linkage arms 271 pivotally connected together, witheach linkage arm 271 pivotally connected to a respective one of thefront housing 234 and the internal structure 232. The hinged connectionof the front housing 234 allows the front housing 234 to be swungforward relative to the back housing 210. The linkage 270 further allowsthe front housing 234 to slide up and down sloped side surfaces 272 ofthe back housing 210. This embodiment may allow components of theparking meter mechanism 230 to be mounted to or affixed to the interiorof the front housing 234, which makes electrical connections betweencomponents of the parking meter mechanism 230 easier and less prone towear and tear since there is no relative movement between components ofthe parking meter mechanism 230 mounted to the interior surface of thefront housing 234. Further the servicing of components of the parkingmeter mechanism 230 may be easier, as they are accessible when the fronthousing 234 is hinged forward.

The components of the removable parking meter mechanism 230 may include,in addition to the internal structure 232, a display 242 mounted to aninterior surface of the front housing 234. By mounting the display 242directly to the front housing 234, it is possible to have a smallerdisplay opening 240 in the front housing 234. Since the display 242 isnot set back from the display opening 240, as may be the case when aprotective housing must move over a display as in previous parkingmeters where a display is attached directly to a parking metermechanism, it is not necessary to enlarge the display opening 240 inorder to provide adequate visibility from different angles. Acontactless card reader or simply a contactless payment antenna 260 forthe contactless card reader may be mounted behind the display 242. Thecontactless payment antenna 260 may comprise a copper trace formed on aprinted circuit board that can be mounted on the back side of thedisplay 242. The contactless payment antenna 260 may be connected to acontactless payment reader module (not shown). A main control board 280may be mounted to the internal surface of the front housing 234, whichforms part of the internal structure 232 of the parking meter mechanism230. The main control board 280 may include a control component, orcontrol components (not shown), for controlling overall operation of theparking meter 200. For example, the control components may include aprocessor and memory, as well as additional circuitry required foroperating the processor and memory, such as a timing clock.

Mounted to the back side, that is the side away from the front housing234, of the main control board 280 is a card payment component 288 whichmay include a chip card reader 290 and/or a magnetic stripe card reader292. The card payment component 288 is mounted so that a payment cardplaced into the card slot 238 will make the appropriate connection forreading the payment card. An auxiliary display 256, which may be visiblethrough an auxiliary display opening 224 in the back housing 210, may bemounted to the main control board 280 or the front housing 234.

In order to allow movement of the front housing 234 required forengaging the front housing 234 to the back housing 210 the mounting ofthe auxiliary display 256 may be biased by a spring or resilient memberso that it may be compressed towards the front housing 234 while closingthe front housing 234, and may be biased forward to fit snugly againstthe auxiliary display opening 224 when the front housing 234 is securedto the back housing 210. An antenna (not shown) may be mounted within anantenna cover 254 that is mounted on a top side of the front housing234. The antenna may be connected via a wire to a radio module 282. Theantenna mounted in the antenna cover 254 is located above asubstantially intact surface of the protective housing which is createdwhen the front housing 234 is secured to the back housing 210. Locatingthe antenna above this substantially intact surface has advantages fortransmission and reception of radio signals, as previously described.Furthermore, the substantially intact surface provides electromagneticshielding for the components of the parking meter mechanism 230, whichcan reduce the amount of radiated spurious emissions introduced into theradio module 282, improving quality and strength of the transmitting andreceiving of radio signals. A power source 246 such as a main batterypack 284 and/or a rechargeable battery pack 286 may be mounted to theinternal structure 232 where it is partially received inside the lowerhousing 102.

By allowing the front housing 234 to hinge forward with at least some ofthe attached components of the parking meter mechanism 230, the serviceand maintenance of the parking meter 200 may be greatly simplified asaccess to the components of the parking meter mechanism 230 issimplified. For example, when the front housing 234 is hinged forwardalong with at least some of the attached components of the parking metermechanism 230, easy access to the coin chute may be provided forinspecting for coins jammed in the coin chute. Similarly, with theparking meter mechanism 230 partially received within the lower housing102 and the front housing 234 pivoted forward relative to the backhousing 210, it is possible to have unobstructed access to most commoncomponents of the parking meter mechanism 230 requiring servicing orreplacement, including for example, replacement of the power source 246,and/or servicing or replacement of the chip card reader 290 or amagnetic stripe card reader 292.

Furthermore, by allowing the front housing 234 to hinge forward thusexposing the components of the parking meter mechanism 230, service andmaintenance of the parking meter mechanism 230 is possible withoutnecessarily removing the parking meter mechanism 230 from the lowerhousing 102. Previous removable parking meter mechanisms typically hadto be completely removed from a lower housing to perform any servicing,which was made more difficult due to having to hold the parking metermechanism. In some cases the removed parking meter mechanism had to beplaced on a hanger or other surface. Such removal of the parking metermechanism is more time consuming and increases the risk of damaging theparking meter mechanism. For example, someone servicing and handling aprevious parking meter mechanism could damage it by dropping it orotherwise mishandling it. Furthermore, handling of previous parkingmeter mechanisms could damage delicate display or solar panels locatedon the parking meter mechanism. Typically, in previous parking metermechanisms, these delicate components had no protection further than theprotective housing, which had to be removed to access the parking metermechanism. As such, any careless or improper handling of previousparking meter mechanisms could damage these components. In contrast, theremovable parking meter mechanism 230 may reduce the likelihood ofdamage by reducing the need to remove the parking meter mechanism 230from the lower housing 102. Further, the removable parking metermechanism 230 includes the front housing 234, which provides protectionto other components of the parking meter mechanism 230 from damage evenwhen the parking meter mechanism 230 is removed from the lower housing102.

The parking meter 200 further comprises a solar panel 216 on the fronthousing 234. The solar panel 216 may be mounted in a solar panelcompartment 214 on an external surface of the front housing 234. Asdepicted, the solar panel compartment 214 may be located below thedisplay 242. Although not visible in the figures, the solar panelcompartment 214 has a substantially intact bottom surface that providesadditional strength and protection against vandalism. The solar panelcompartment 214 may have a small cutout (not shown) provided in thesubstantially intact bottom surface in order to allow an electricalconnection to be made between the solar panel compartment 214 and othercomponents of the parking meter mechanism 230, such as a solarharvesting control module (not shown) responsible for recharging therechargeable battery pack 286. Additionally the cutout may be sized toallow small circuitry associated with the solar panel 216, such astemperature compensation diodes, to be located on the back of the solarpanel 216 while still allowing the solar panel 216 to lie flat in thesolar panel compartment 214.

Locating the solar panel compartment 214 below the display 242 mayprovide some advantage with respect to orienting the solar panel 216 ina location that is likely to be in sunlight. Parking meters may beplaced against other objects such as building walls, post boxes, orutility and light poles. If a solar panel is located on the back of theparking meter in such an installation it is less likely to receive anylight. Since the display of the parking meter will always be accessiblebecause a user must be able to interact with the parking meter, locatingthe solar panel 216 on the front side of the parking meter 200 mayincrease the likelihood that the solar panel 216 will receive light.Furthermore, with previous ‘symmetric’ designs, that is parking metershaving a side profile that is somewhat symmetric, it is often difficultfor a user to quickly identify the front, that is, the side of theparking meter with the display and input controls, of the parking meter.By including the solar panel 216 on the front of the parking meter 200along with the display 242 and input controls 250, a more asymmetricprofile may be provided making use of the parking meter 200 easier andmore intuitive. In addition, by including the solar panel 216 on thefront housing 234, the parking meter mechanism 230 may be easier tomanufacture, assemble and service, since a majority of the components ofthe parking meter may be located together on the interior surface of thefront housing 234 as opposed to in remote and separate locations.Furthermore, having the solar panel compartment 214 and solar panel 216located on the front housing 234 may make it readily apparent that theparking meter 200 includes a ‘green’ power source which may be desirableto cities or parking authorities with respect to public relations.

The parking meter 200 further includes an antenna (not shown) that ismounted above the front housing 234 and within a protective antennacover 254. The protective antenna cover 254 is elongated tosubstantially the same width as the top of the front housing 234 of theparking meter 200.

In contrast to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1-7, theback housing 210 is first placed in the lower housing 102 and then theparking meter mechanism 230 is placed in the parking meter 200. Thefront housing 234 of the parking meter mechanism 230 is hingedlyattached to the internal structure 232 by the linkage 270. The linkage270 allows the front housing 234 to pivot towards the back housing 210when the parking meter mechanism 230 is placed in the lower housing 102.The linkage 270 also allows the front housing 234 to slide against theback housing 210 when the front housing is pivoted to a closed positionrelative to the back housing 210.

The back housing 210 may have two sloping side surfaces 272 againstwhich the front housing 234 can slide. Each of the sloping side surfaces272 comprises one or more finger protrusions 274 that engage and capturecorresponding rails or grooves 278 machined into corresponding matingsurfaces of the front housing 234 when the front housing 234 slides tothe bottom of the back housing 210. In order for the finger protrusions274 to engage the corresponding rails or grooves 278, matching andmachined openings 275 are provided in the corresponding rails or grooves278 to allow the finger protrusions 274 to slide into the correspondingrails or grooves 278. Once the front housing 234 is pivoted to the topof the back housing 210 and slid down the sloping side surfaces 272 ofthe back housing 210, an upper lock secured in an upper lock opening 277can actuate an upper locking mechanism, which may be in the form of alocking cam 276 on the back housing 210 can be engaged to secure thefront housing 234 to the back housing 210. The finger protrusions 274,which are engaged to the corresponding rails or grooves 278, prevent thefront housing 234 from pivoting away from the back housing 210, while alocking cam 276 prevents upward movement of the front housing 234, whichalso prevents disengagement of the protruding fingers 274 from thecorresponding rails or grooves 278.

When assembling the parking meter 200, first the back housing 210 isengaged to the lower housing 102. The back housing 210 may be locked tothe lower housing 102. After the back housing 210 is engaged to thelower housing 102, the parking meter mechanism 230 is partially receivedinto the lower housing 102 and the front housing 234 which is hinged tothe internal structure 232, is pivoted towards the back housing 210 andagainst the sloping side surfaces 272 of the back housing 210. In orderto engage the front housing 234 and the back housing 210 together, thefront housing 234 is positioned along the sloping side surfaces 272 ofthe back housing 210 such that the finger protrusions 274, placedequidistant along the sloping side surfaces 272 of the back housing 210,can be received within the openings 275 located on the correspondingrails or grooves 278 of the front housing 234. Once the fingerprotrusions 274 are sitting in the openings 275, the sloping sidesurfaces 272 of the back housing 210 and the corresponding matingsurfaces of the front housing 234 are in line and sitting tight againsteach other. The front housing 234 is then positioned on, for example bysliding down, the sloping side surfaces 272 of the back housing 210 sothat the finger protrusions 274 move out of the openings 275 to capturethe corresponding rails or grooves 278 machined into the correspondingmating surfaces of the front housing 234. When the front housing 234 hasbeen moved down the sloping side surfaces 272 as far as the fronthousing 234 will travel, the finger protrusions 274 of the back housing210 will tightly mate with the corresponding rails or grooves 278machined into the corresponding mating surfaces of the front housing 234and will not allow any appreciable separation of the front housing 234from the back housing 210. Further up or down movement of the fronthousing 234 relative to the back housing 210 is stopped by engaging thelocking cam 276 on the back housing 210.

Although relative movement between the front housing 234 and the backhousing 210 is described as being prevented by the cooperation betweenthe finger protrusions 274 on the back housing 210 and the correspondingrails or grooves 278 machined into the corresponding mating surfaces ofthe front housing 234, other means may be employed to prevent relativemovement between the front housing 234 and the back housing 210 in theparking meter 200 when assembled. For example, the locking cam 276 alonemay be sufficient to prevent any significant amount of relative movementbetween the front housing 234 and the back housing 210 in order toprovide a parking meter 200 that is secure from the elements, tampering,vandalism and/or theft.

In addition, and with reference to FIGS. 12B and 14B, another example ofan alternate means to prevent relative movement between the fronthousing 234 and the back housing 210 in the parking meter 200 whenassembled is the incorporation of interlocking fingers 294 along thesloping side surfaces 272 of the back housing 210 and the correspondingmating surfaces of the front housing 234. The use of interlockingfingers 294 may be advantageous where the above-described approach ofusing finger protrusions 274 on the sloping side surfaces 272 of theback housing 210, and corresponding rails or grooves 278 machined intocorresponding mating surfaces of the front housing 234, is either notpossible or not desirable. Examples of where the above approach may notbe possible or desirable include where an upper locking mechanism is notavailable or practical such that only a lower locking mechanism thatengages with the back housing 210 is available, where sliding the fronthousing 234 along or against the sloping side surfaces 272 of the backhousing 210 is not available or desirable, and/or where it is preferablefor both the front housing 234 and the back housing 210 to each pivotoutwards to an open/unlocked position and inwards to a closed/lockableposition. In those examples, the front housing 234, the back housing 210and the lower housing 102 may be secured to one another first byhingedly or pivotally securing to the lower housing 102 each of thefront housing 234 and back housing 210, second by inwardly pivoting thefront housing 234 and back housing 210 to a closed position such thatwhen in the closed position their respective interlocking fingers 294are engaged, and third by engaging the lower locking mechanism, whichsecures the back housing 210 to the lower housing 102. Because the backhousing 210 is locked and secured to the lower housing 102, and thefront housing 234 is secured to the back housing 210 as a result of theinterlocking fingers 294 when in the closed position, neither the fronthousing 234 nor the back housing 210 can pivot outwardly, unless thelower locking mechanism is disengaged. When the lower locking mechanismis disengaged, the back housing 210 is released such that the backhousing 210 may pivot outwardly to an open position, which disengagesthe interlocking fingers 294 and allows for the front housing 234 topivot outwardly. While the above describes placement of the interlockingfingers 294 along the sloping side surfaces 272 of the back housing 210and the corresponding mating surfaces of the front housing 234, it isalternatively or additionally possible to secure the front housing 234and the back housing 210 together by placing the interlocking fingers294 along a top edge or portion of the front housing 234 and a top edgeor portion of the back housing 210.

With reference again to the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 8-12A and13-14A, the finger protrusions 274 of the back housing 210 and thecorresponding rails or grooves 278 in the front housing 234 have beendescribed as being machined or formed into the respective housings. Thesame cooperation between the finger protrusions 274 and thecorresponding rails or grooves 278 can be accomplished with similarfinger protrusions being instead located on the front housing 234 andthe corresponding rails or grooves instead being machined into the backhousing 210. Furthermore, the same cooperation between the fingerprotrusions 274 and corresponding rails or grooves 278 can beaccomplished with similar finger protrusion and corresponding rails orgrooves instead being discrete metal parts that have been stamped,formed or machined and which are rigidly attached to the front housing234 and the back housing 210, precluding the requirement for precisionmachining to be carried out on the front housing and the back housing.Likewise, the above-described interlocking fingers 294 of FIGS. 12B and14B may also be discrete metal parts.

Although the front housing 234 has been described as being secured tothe back housing 210 through the finger protrusions 274 and/or thelocking cam 276, the front housing 234 may be secured to the backhousing 210 with a different locking mechanism. For example a pin orprotrusion on either the front housing 234 or back housing 210 may bemoved into a corresponding opening or securing point in the otherhousing to prevent the front housing 234 from sliding up or down theback housing 210.

The back housing 210 may be secured to the lower housing 102 using alower locking mechanism that prevents lateral movement of the backhousing 210 relative to the lower housing 102. For example, the lowerlocking mechanism may comprise a rotatable cam that is rotated upwardsand interferes with one or more of the securing points 222 preventinglateral movement of the back housing 210 relative to the lower housing102.

The parking meter 200 may comprise two separate locking mechanism, anupper locking mechanism in the back housing 210 for securing the fronthousing 234 and the parking meter mechanism 230 to the back housing 210and a lower locking mechanism in the lower housing 102 for securing theback housing 210 to the lower housing 102. The two locking mechanismsmay be actuated by respective upper and lower locks. Alternatively, asingle lock may be used, for example in the lower housing 102, tosimultaneously actuate both the upper locking mechanism and the lowerlocking mechanism. For example, rotating a cam of the lower lockingmechanism may cause a locking pin of the upper locking mechanism toprotrude up from the back housing 210 and into a corresponding hole inthe front housing 234.

As described herein, a front housing, which comprises an externalsurface, will be exposed to the environment and to the public, iscoupled to an internal structure making it an integral part of theremovable parking meter mechanism while forming a component of theprotective housing. As such, rigid and secure mounting of components ofthe parking meter mechanism within the removable parking metermechanism, including mounting of components of the parking metermechanism to an inside surface of the front housing, is possible.

FIG. 15 provides an embodiment of a parking meter 300 that comprises aremovable parking meter mechanism 330 that can be received into a lowerhousing 302. The parking meter mechanism 330 is similar to the parkingmeter mechanism 130 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-7. A lowerhousing 302, as well as the front housing 334 of the parking metermechanism 330, may be adapted to allow the back housing 310 to behingedly connected to the lower housing 302. The back housing 310 maystill comprise a solar panel compartment 314; however the securingpoints 122 on the back housing 110, and the corresponding securingpoints 104 and the movable securing point 106 on the lower housing 102as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 may not be required.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, the parking metermechanism 130 is first placed in the lower housing 102 and then a backhousing 110 is locked in place, securing the parking meter mechanism 130in the lower housing 102. In contrast, FIG. 16 depicts an embodiment ofa parking meter 400 having a removable parking meter mechanism 430 witha front housing 434 that is slidably attached to an internal structure432. In contrast to the parking meter mechanism 130 described above,when placing the parking meter mechanism 430 in the lower housing 102,the back housing 410 is first connected to front housing 434 asdepicted. Connecting the back housing 410 to the front housing 434 mayprovide additional strength to the protective housing of the parkingmeter 400 since any lateral movement between the front housing 434 andthe back housing 410, which is required to secure the back housing 110in the lower housing 102 in the embodiment described above withreference to FIGS. 1 to 7, is substantially prevented. However, in orderto place the parking meter mechanism 430 into the lower housing 102, thefront housing 434 and connected back housing 410 must be able to movelaterally with respect to a coin slot protrusion 437 forming part of themechanism cover plate 466 of the internal structure 432. The coin slotprotrusion 437 is received in a corresponding opening 163 in the lowerhousing 102. The coin slot protrusion 437 is sized so that it fitstightly within the corresponding opening 163 in the lower housing 102,and as such lateral movement of the coin slot protrusion 437 issubstantially prevented. In order to place the parking meter mechanism430 in the lower housing 102 and engage the corresponding securingpoints 104 and the moveable securing point 106 of the lower housing 102,securing points 422 are located on the bottom of the back housing 410.Although securing points 422 could be located on the bottom portion ofthe front housing 434, or on a combination of the bottoms of the fronthousing 434 and back housing 410, securing points 422 must be able tomove laterally with respect to the corresponding securing points 104 andthe moveable securing point 106 of the lower housing 102. By attachingthe front housing 434 to internal structure 432 in a manner that allowslateral movement of the front housing 434 relative to the internalstructure 432, and in particular to the coin slot protrusion 437, thelateral movement of the securing points 422 is possible, since the backhousing 410 is first attached to the front housing 434 that can movelaterally.

Various means of attachment of the front housing 434 to the internalstructure 432 are possible. For example, a pin or rod may be attached tothe internal structure 432, and the front housing 434 may be slidablysupported on the pin or rod, through a journaled connection attached tothe front housing 434, to thereby allow lateral movement of the fronthousing 434 on the pin or rod.

The above has described, with reference to FIGS. 8-14, a parking meter200 with a solar panel 216 located in a solar compartment 214 on a fronthousing 234 below a display 242 and a contactless payment reader locatedbehind the display 242. FIG. 17 provides an embodiment of a parkingmeter 500 with the solar panel 516 located on the front housing 534 andan exterior surface of the contactless payment reader 544 located abovethe display 542 of the removable parking meter mechanism 530. The fronthousing 534 is elongated to provide sufficient space for the solar panel516 and the contactless payment reader 544. The solar panel 516 may belocated in a solar panel compartment (not shown) that, similar to thesolar panel compartment 114, has a substantially intact bottom surface.In order to provide sufficient operation of the contactless paymentreader 544, it may be necessary to provide a large opening in the fronthousing 534 through which the contactless payment reader can operate. Aprotective cover may cover the large opening in order to secure thecomponents of the parking meter mechanism 530 from vandalism and theenvironment. A back housing 510 secures the front housing 534 to thelower housing 102.

Furthermore, although not shown in detail in FIG. 17, the front housing534 may include a front surface portion 581 that can be hinged to theinternal structure (not shown) of the parking meter mechanism 530 inorder to allow the front surface portion 581 to hinge forward. The frontsurface portion 581 may be secured adjacent to the back housing 510 by alocking mechanism (not shown) or other means.

Although the above has described parking meters as having an antenna forcommunicating mounted above housing component of a parking metermechanism, it is possible to mount the antenna within the housingcomponents of the parking meter. FIG. 18 provides an embodiment of aparking meter 600 with an internal antenna 652. The front housing 634and back housing 610 are slopped upwards to form a peaked top 693 thatprovides an internal hollow space or cavity 673 sufficient in size toallow an internal antenna 652 to be mounted within the cavity 673. Thecavity 673 is situated behind and partially above a display opening 640in the front housing 634, through which a display (not shown) isvisible, and is also situated behind and partially above the solar panelcompartment 614 of the back housing 610. In order to improve thetransmission and reception characteristics of the internal antenna 652,the solar panel compartment 614 is elongated and provided with atransmission opening 672 along the top to provide a passage for radiosignals through the back housing 610 and into the cavity 673. Thecombination of the display opening 640 in the front housing 634 as wellas the transmission opening 672 in the solar panel compartment 614 ofthe back housing 610 allow for the reception and transmission of radiosignals to and from the internal antenna 652.

Various embodiments of parking meters and removable parking metermechanisms have been described that provide various features. Thedifferent features and components of the various embodiments may beindividually incorporated into parking meters or parking metermechanisms that do not include all of the described features. Forexample, the advantages described herein of arranging a solar panel on afront side of the parking meter may be realized without mounting thesolar panel in a solar panel compartment having a substantially intactbottom surface. Similarly, the advantages of having a contactlesspayment reader located behind a display may be realized in a parkingmeter mechanism having a front housing, or more generally an exteriorhousing that is not coupled to the parking meter mechanism.

What is claimed is:
 1. A single space parking meter comprising: a back housing; a removable single space parking meter mechanism engageable with the back housing, the removable single space parking meter mechanism comprising: an internal structure; a front housing, to be exposed to an external environment, coupled to the internal structure; one or more input controls located on the front housing; a display; and an antenna for a contactless payment reader.
 2. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein payment information is displayed when parking time is being purchased.
 3. The single space parking meter of claim 2, wherein the payment information comprises payment indications, directions or instructions for payment using the contactless payment reader antenna.
 4. The single space parking meter of claim 2, wherein the display presents the payment information.
 5. The single space parking meter of claim 4, wherein the payment information comprises payment indications, directions or instructions for payment using the contactless payment reader antenna.
 6. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein the front housing comprises a display opening through which the display is visible.
 7. The single space parking meter of claim 1, further comprising additional payment components comprising one or more of: a card slot in the front housing for receiving a payment card; and a coin slot for receiving coins.
 8. The single space parking meter of claim 7, wherein the additional payment components are coupled or connected to the internal structure of the parking meter mechanism.
 9. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein the input controls are adjacent to the display.
 10. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein the antenna for the contactless payment reader is coupled to a contactless payment reader comprising at least one of: a Near-Field Communications (NFC) reader; a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader; and an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14443 reader.
 11. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein the input controls comprise a plurality of buttons.
 12. The single space parking meter of claim 11, wherein the input controls comprise: a first button for increasing an amount of time purchased; a second button for decreasing the amount of time purchased; a third button for accepting an action; and a fourth button for cancelling an action.
 13. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein the input controls comprise at least one type of switch selected from the group consisting of: electromechanical switches; piezoelectric switches; and capacitive touch switches.
 14. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein the removable single space parking meter mechanism further comprises: a plurality of parking meter mechanism components coupled to the internal structure, the plurality of parking meter mechanism components comprising: a control component for controlling operation of the single space parking meter mechanism; and a power source coupled to at least the control component.
 15. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein the front housing is rigidly attached to the internal structure of the removable parking meter mechanism.
 16. The parking meter of claim 1, wherein the antenna for the contactless payment is connected to a contactless payment reader module providing the contactless payment reader via wires.
 17. The parking meter of claim 1, wherein the antenna is arranged on a printed circuit board of a contactless payment reader module providing the contactless payment reader.
 18. The single space parking meter of claim 1, wherein the front housing of the parking meter mechanism and the back housing provide a protective housing for components and the internal structure of the parking meter mechanism.
 19. The single space parking meter of claim 18, wherein the parking meter mechanism and the back housing are slidably engageable.
 20. The single space parking meter of claim 18, further comprising: finger protrusions on one of the parking meter mechanism or the back housing; and corresponding rails or grooves on the other one of the parking meter mechanism or the back housing, the corresponding rails or grooves comprising openings to receive the finger protrusions when the parking meter mechanism slidably engages the back housing, wherein the finger protrusions and the corresponding rails or grooves are shaped to allow the finger protrusions to engage and capture the corresponding rails or grooves when the parking meter mechanism is slid up or down the back housing.
 21. The single space parking meter of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism to secure the parking meter mechanism to the back housing.
 22. The single space parking meter of claim 21, wherein the locking mechanism is actuated by a lock located in the back housing.
 23. The single space parking meter of claim 1, further comprising an externally-exposed solar panel mounted on the parking meter.
 24. The single space parking meter of claim 23, wherein the solar panel is mounted within a solar panel compartment.
 25. The single space parking meter of claim 24, wherein the solar panel compartment is located on the front housing.
 26. The single space parking meter of claim 25, wherein the solar panel is electrically connected to one or more components of the removable single space parking meter mechanism.
 27. The single space parking meter of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary display, wherein the auxiliary display displays additional information.
 28. The single space parking meter of claim 27, wherein the auxiliary display is mounted to the front housing.
 29. The single space parking meter of claim 27, wherein the auxiliary display is mounted to the internal structure.
 30. The single space parking meter of claim 29, wherein the auxiliary display is mounted to one or both of: a sub-frame of the internal structure; and, a main control board of the internal structure.
 31. The single space parking meter of claim 1, further comprising one or more indication lights.
 32. The single space parking meter of claim 31, wherein the one or more indication lights are visible through one or more openings in the front housing.
 33. The single space parking meter of claim 32, wherein the indication lights indicate payment information. 